Mosaic is a geodemographic segmentation system developed by Experian and marketed in over twenty countries worldwide. Each of the nearly one-quarter million block groups were classified into sixty segments on the basis of a wide range of demographic characteristics. The basic premise of geodemographic segmentation is that people tend to gravitate towards communities with other people of similar backgrounds, interests, and means. Mosaic is linked to the systems in other nations through the Global Mosaic classification, which consists of fourteen market segments found in every modernized country.
Mosaic is one of over twenty neighborhood classification systems built by Experian staff, whose international segmentation experiences stretches back over twenty years. Along with the international experience applied in this product, some of the most experienced geodemographers in North America were involved with the development of Mosaic. During the product refinement process, Mosaic was compared to other clustering systems in a variety of tests. The Mosaic assignments are updated annually by incorporating updated AGS demographics into the segmentation model, ensuring that the assignment is as accurate as possible given shifts in local area demographics.
AGS used a very wide range of variables from the 2000 Census at the block and block group levels in order to build the new Mosaic system. In total, the number of variables used in the initial analysis was well in excess of 600. The group categories of variables included in the creation of the Mosaic typology is listed below:
- Population by Age and Sex
- Population by Race and Hispanic origin
- Educational Attainment
- Educational Enrollment
- Marital Status
- Group quarters population by type
- Place of birth
- Foreign born by year of entry
- Households by type
- Size of household
- Household type by presence of children
- Age of head of household
- Language spoken at home and linguistic isolation
- Residence in 1995 (Stability)
- Tenure
- Vehicles available
- Households by income
- Median income, average per capita income
- Median income by age
- Households by type of income
- Workers in family
- Income/Poverty ratio
- Labor force status by sex (incl. military)
- Labor force participation rate
- Employment by occupation
- Employment by industry
- Class of worker (e.g. private corporation, federal gov’t, unpaid family, etc.)
- Veteran status
- Travel time to work
- Worked at home
- Dwellings by occupancy status (owned, rented, vacant)
- Housing value of owner occupied housing
- Median housing value
- Contract rent
- Median contract rent
- Units in structure
- Year structure built
- Median dwelling age
- Mortgage status (e.g. no mortgage, first only, first and second)
- Year moved in
- Population density
- MSA size
- Distance to MSA center
The resulting segmentation system consists of sixty segments which are presented as twelve separate groups. For detailed descriptions of the segments and groups click here
Methodology and Data Sources
MOSAIC was originally constructed using the 1990 Census, and is now based on the 2000 Census data and updated on an annual basis using AGS demographic updates. In addition to the block group level segmentation, Mosaic is available at the ZIP+4 level because of the analysis of Experian’s household level records in conjunction with the block group assignments. The AGS estimates and projections are based in part on the same Experian household records, which provides a very accurate current demographic snapshot.
For additional MOSAIC information, click here.
Related Links
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